Manual test: import a cartridge .sav from your own emulator and phone #86

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2026-10-17T12:03:11+02:00

kawa commented

2026-10-17 12:03:11 +02:00

Implementation: #44 (592ca43).

Why a person: unit and browser tests convert the committed debug-saves (.sav and the 3DS Virtual Console sav.dat), check every address against the PRET build, and test clock footers, damaged copies and refusals with edited files. They cannot tell whether a save from your own emulator or cartridge, with its own clock, opens where and when you left it, on a phone too.

Setup (on a machine with the user's Crystal 1.1 ROM)

In an emulator that keeps the clock in the save (mGBA, BGB, VBA-M or SameBoy), play the English Crystal and save somewhere in Johto outside the Bug-Catching Contest and the Battle Tower. Note the place, the party, the money, a box's contents and the Pokégear time and weekday. Close the emulator so it writes the .sav.
Run npm run dev and load the ROM. Saves stay local; do not upload them.

Import from an emulator

Savegames → Import backup → your .sav. The preview shows your name and ID, the place, play time, badges and caught count, "Pokémon Crystal cartridge save", and Clock: "The cartridge clock, carried forward to now". Conversion notes say the tiles walked count starts from zero.
"Add as a new save", then Play: you stand where you saved, facing the same way, with the same party (levels, HP, moves, held items and MAIL), bag, money and Pokédex count.
Pokégear: the time and weekday match what the emulator would show now (open the emulator again to compare).
Bill's PC: the boxes (names and Pokémon) match the original, including Eggs if any. The bedroom PC's items and decorations match.
Phone: the contacts match. If Pokémon are at the Day-Care, they are there.
A name with the PK or MN symbol (make a test save named with them if needed) shows as ᴾᴷ/ᴹᴺ in the preview, the start menu and the trainer card, and on MAIL written by that trainer.

Other files

The committed debug-saves/…/Pokémon - Crystal Version.sav imports as "Mattiaᴾᴷ" in New Bark Town; Clock says "This device's time".
A Gold or Silver .sav, or a Crystal save made in Kanto, is refused with a reason ("holds no saved game…" or "…which the port cannot open yet"), and the save list is unchanged.
On an iPhone (Safari) and an Android phone (Chrome) over HTTPS, the Import backup file picker lets you choose a .sav file, and the import works as above.

Implementation: #44 (592ca43). Why a person: unit and browser tests convert the committed `debug-saves` (`.sav` and the 3DS Virtual Console `sav.dat`), check every address against the PRET build, and test clock footers, damaged copies and refusals with edited files. They cannot tell whether a save from your own emulator or cartridge, with its own clock, opens where and when you left it, on a phone too. **Setup** (on a machine with the user's Crystal 1.1 ROM) 1. In an emulator that keeps the clock in the save (mGBA, BGB, VBA-M or SameBoy), play the English Crystal and save somewhere in Johto outside the Bug-Catching Contest and the Battle Tower. Note the place, the party, the money, a box's contents and the Pokégear time and weekday. Close the emulator so it writes the `.sav`. 2. Run `npm run dev` and load the ROM. Saves stay local; do not upload them. **Import from an emulator** - [ ] Savegames → Import backup → your `.sav`. The preview shows your name and ID, the place, play time, badges and caught count, "Pokémon Crystal cartridge save", and Clock: "The cartridge clock, carried forward to now". Conversion notes say the tiles walked count starts from zero. - [ ] "Add as a new save", then Play: you stand where you saved, facing the same way, with the same party (levels, HP, moves, held items and MAIL), bag, money and Pokédex count. - [ ] Pokégear: the time and weekday match what the emulator would show now (open the emulator again to compare). - [ ] Bill's PC: the boxes (names and Pokémon) match the original, including Eggs if any. The bedroom PC's items and decorations match. - [ ] Phone: the contacts match. If Pokémon are at the Day-Care, they are there. - [ ] A name with the PK or MN symbol (make a test save named with them if needed) shows as ᴾᴷ/ᴹᴺ in the preview, the start menu and the trainer card, and on MAIL written by that trainer. **Other files** - [ ] The committed `debug-saves/…/Pokémon - Crystal Version.sav` imports as "Mattiaᴾᴷ" in New Bark Town; Clock says "This device's time". - [ ] A Gold or Silver `.sav`, or a Crystal save made in Kanto, is refused with a reason ("holds no saved game…" or "…which the port cannot open yet"), and the save list is unchanged. - [ ] On an iPhone (Safari) and an Android phone (Chrome) over HTTPS, the Import backup file picker lets you choose a `.sav` file, and the import works as above.

kawa added this to the Pokemon Crystal - Web project 2026-10-17 12:03:23 +02:00

kawa moved this to A tester in Pokemon Crystal - Web on 2026-10-17 12:03:23 +02:00

kawa referenced this issue

2026-10-17 12:03:23 +02:00

Investigate importing original .sav files #44

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Reference: kawa/Crystal#86